


Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

by ElleMeDit2016



Category: Original Work
Genre: Aftermath, Clint Eastwood - Freeform, Emily Blunt - Freeform, End of the World, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fantasy, Keke Palmer - Freeform, M/M, Military, Multi, Mutant Powers, Post-Apocalypse, Specter, kronos - Freeform, what happens after the end?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-28
Updated: 2017-09-11
Packaged: 2018-12-21 03:52:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,572
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11935749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElleMeDit2016/pseuds/ElleMeDit2016
Summary: "I didn't ask for this." The woman spat at the men seated across the desk from her."No, you didn't. But you don't have a choice." Sinister smiles spread across their lips."Why am I here?" She demanded.The men shared a glance before the tall, thin man spoke, "You're a gifted person, Miss. Knight. We could use someone like you.""Use me?" Her confusion was warranted, "For what?""The war against Specter, of course." The smaller man informed her."Who's Specter?" She questioned, her brow creased."Answers will come in due time." They promised before they gestured for her to look out the window behind them at the bustling military base, "Welcome to Kronos."





	1. Welcome to Kronos

The world pulsed with life. Even in the stillness of the early morning there is thrum that vibrates the chords on a guitar after it has been strummed, resonating from every living thing. It soared up the face of crumbling mountains and glided down into the valleys below, the natural pulse of life still thrived. Like a heartbeat on an EKG, each new blip resonated, deeply within yet, barely registrable at the same time. Is it all just white noise? A way to dampen the constant stresses this new world bolsters. Or does it mean something more? 

The pulse called out to her even in her dreams like a siren’s song. Drawing her into its warmth as it greeted her as an old friend would. She knew she couldn’t actually feel nature itself. It was something much more concrete than that. It was within her as it was within everything that lives and breathes. Electricity. The human body produced quite a bit of wattage on its own. Somehow Maggie Knight was able to detect it with much more clarity than the average person. She didn’t understand how she was able to do so especially when she had thought she was fairly ordinary prior. Yet her merger existence was turned upside down following the emergence of her new found abilities. Abilities she couldn’t explain.

Exhaling, a focused breath through her nostrils as she leaned her head back against dark fabric of the passenger seat’s head rest. Her body wasn’t tired but her mind certainly was stretched thin. Trapped within the vehicle to the point she had nearly lost track of time. She assumed it was nearly mid morning to early afternoon. She and her friends had been picked up in the small hours of the morning. She wasn’t positive on the exact length of time. In these times, there were no cell phones or watches readily available unless one had the luxury to waste credits on such things. Maggie had not come from such a station in life nor had she ever longed for it. She figured herself to be a simple individual destined for simple things. She didn’t know why she had been captured. But she knew it had to do something with her new gifts.

Her mind wandered as she studied the rest of her surroundings. Blacked Out windows didn’t offer any insight as to where they might be headed. But the interior of the SUV limo was a charcoal grey from ceiling to seats to the floor. Half empty bottles of alcohol and sticky glasses littered the floor along with wrappers and packages of snacks which had been consumed during the beginning stages of their involuntary journey. Her nose wrinkled with mirth as her eyes fell upon her companions whom were passed out upon the various seating areas within their compartment. After a night of partying, all of them were blissfully unaware of the journey they had been on for the past several hours. They had been abducted as the vehicle had been fully stocked with every kind of booze to keep the party going. Maggie had lost track of time over the course of the night and hadn’t lost herself in the illusion their captors were trying to set. 

Shaking her head, she turned her attention back towards the window to her left but was unable to see beyond the dark opaque surface other than her own reflection glaring back at her. Dirty blonde, shoulder length hair was tousled and unruly bangs swayed about head as the vehicle rambled across rugged terrain causing it to conceal most of her face. A pothole caused the vehicle to rock Maggie’s forehead into the window beside her. A yelp of pain squeaked out of the woman’s lips as pale, slender fingers cradled contusion that would no doubt swell into a goose egg on the side of her head before the hand smoothed her hair away face to reveal sharp features and brilliant aquamarine eyes. There was an electrical spark behind her eyes, an untapped energy bubbling beneath the surface along with a healthy dose of defiance. 

She huffed in frustration and folded her arms over her chest. She would just have to wait until they arrived at their destination to find out where they were. Judging by the time it took to travel and the distance covered, she was sure they were far away from their home. Too far to make a run for it by any means. As the SUV slowed to a halt, her body tensed. Her thundering heartbeat pounded in her ears almost drowning out the muffled voices of their ‘shofers’ conversing with people outside the vehicle. And just as soon as they had stopped, they were propelled forward again. She glanced back at her companions, none of them had even been roused by the jarring motions of their lead footed driver. With a frown, the woman decided that her friends had slept long enough and needed to be warned.

“Guys,” She bent over and shook the shoulder of olive skinned brunette passed out on the seat beside her, “C’mon, Lou! Eloise?”

No response. A frustrated sigh escaped her mouth as she moved towards the man and woman who were cuddling perpendicular to Maggie and Eloise. “Rupe? Della? Guys this is serious!” The pitch of her voice strained as her throat constricted as panic seeped into every essence of her being when neither of them were stirred by her pleas.

Maggie turned towards the blonde haired man parallel to herself, “Talon! Now is not the time for this! I don’t need any of your jokes. Tal?”

Her shoulders slumped in defeat and her head held into her hands, “What is going on?”

There was no comfort offered. The only answer the sound of the door of the SUV being ripped open and light flooded into the dark passenger’s compartment temporarily blinding Maggie. Her hand shot up, immediately, to shield her eyes from the sensory overload. She wasn’t allowed the opportunity to adjust to the change in atmosphere as a strong hand latched onto her forearm and pulled her out of the car. Her fight or flight instincts kicked in and she chose fight. She began to thrash with all she had. But she was far too tired to be very effective. Her captors found it far too easy to restrain her petite body and force her into submission.

“This is her.” A voice from overhead stated. It was close but not within arms reach.

Blinking, her eyes finally adjusted and she was finally able to take in her surroundings. They were in what looked like an old military base that had been repurposed for some else’s aspirations. A group of ten to fifteen men towering over her. They encompassed the immediate area near the black SUV, blocking any and all possible routes of escape. She couldn’t see beyond their imposing figures. They were all wearing matching black/dark gray uniforms with blazing red symbols patched onto their shoulders. Her eyes gleamed in recognition, “Where am I?”

“A Kronos base, Miss. Knight.” A man with badges answered as he prowled over to stand in front of her. He was the most decorated member of their welcoming party as the breast of his jacket was adorned with various badges and stars. She didn’t ask how the man knew her name. She had been aware for the organization’s presence for quite some time actually.

“Well, Mr. Ketchum, are we on our way to the Elite Four?” She joked hoping to cut some of the tension. 

Apparently, her reference to the age old trading card game and television series was lost on her audience as the men’s lips tightened into even thinner lines and she was jostled a bit by the individual restraining her before the badged man struck her over the head, “Shut the hell up, freak! You only speak when spoken too… Unless you want something to happen to your friends.”

There was a predatory gleam in the man’s dark eyes. But Maggie didn’t consider herself to be prey. Her mouth opened for a moment but she decided against it if only for the stakes of her friends. Their lives were more important to her than her pride. She’d have to keep it together in order to get through this. The man with the badges made a few quick gestures and she was pulled aside. Several men entered the SUV and returned with her friends in tow. All of them were still in a daze and looked to be faring alright. Confused, but no harm. 

She attempted to reach out to them, but she was pulled away towards the nearest building, “Lou! Rupe! Guys!” 

Her desperate pleas finally seemed to breach whatever haze clouding their minds. Eloise registered that something was wrong and began to fight against her captors, “Maggie? What’s going on? Mag-”

Maggie began to fight once more. She wasn’t going to let them separate her so easily from her friends. But once again, her efforts were in vain as the men’s total power maneuvered her without any kind of feat on their parts. The doors sealed shut behind her, severing her from her friends entirely.

“You shouldn’t worry about your friends, little one. They won’t be undergoing the tests you’re about to endor.” The man who had drug her out of the SUV informed her.

“Tests? What kinds of test?” She probed, her eyes trained on the next set of doors that reminded her of the doors in the medical center.

“Tests to sort you.” He explained.

Her brow furrowed in confusion, “Sort me?”

“You ask a lot of questions.” The man chuckled, his grasp tightening around her arm, his quaking body caused her’s to shake in response, “You think you’re the only one with special powers.”

“No-”  
***  
The whole process had been a blur once Maggie had been separated from her friends. So many things had happened. She couldn’t keep anything straight. It felt like a strange dream or a nightmare whichever one prefered. But strangely enough, she wasn’t scared at all. There was a bubbling thrill in the pit of her stomach, the kind of thrill she’d never felt before. For some strange and twisted reason being abducted from her home, separated from her friends, and tested was exciting to her. She’d never felt so alive. She figured this would have been partially because she’d just been pumped with all kinds of electricity. A part of the testing process. She suspected they wanted to see what she could handle as well the extend of what she could do. Once the testing had been finished, she found herself standing face to face with the two men who had brought her here in the first place.

“Boys.” Maggie acknowledged, coldly; her smile more of a sneer.

She looked around their ‘office’. It was pretty standard as far as she could tell. Plain desks. Plain brown leather chairs. A bookcase and file system ensconced the wall behind them. The walls were all beige. The floors were a black tile. The front wall was a glass panel. She didn’t allow her mind to think about how many people they might’ve already done this to. She didn’t want to know. Whatever they were apart of this was no way to get new recruits. The buzzing of the security camera pinged in the back of her mind. Her powers reached out to it and cut off the feed.

“Ms. Knight, don’t you look lovely in a Kronos uniform.” Fisher drawled from behind his desk.

The uniform she’d received from the handlers in between tests was a black shirt with some sort of logo on the right breast, skin-tight black track pants, and black combat boots. She wondered if they were some kind of undercover spy enterprise or were just hadn’t gotten out of their emo phase.

“Yes, I agree. This seems to suit you.” Dupont concurred, resting his elbows on the hard wooden desktop in front of him.

Falling into the single chair in front of their desks, Maggie shrugged as she propped her feet on her Dupont’s desk, “Well, thanks… I guess. But I have a feeling you didn’t have me brought back to you guys to talk about how good I look in your little outfits.”

Their lips stretched into identical smirks, “No, quite right. That’s not at all why you’re here.”

“I’d love to be filled in.” Maggie folded her arms over her chest.

“You’re in luck because we were just about to inform you.” Fisher began

“Yes, you see, Ms. Knight. Kronos officials have chosen you because you have a specific set of skills they’d like to utilize.” Dupont continued.

“Yeah, we’ve already been over this… several times. My answer hasn’t changed. Still not interested.” Maggie stated.

“Oh well, you see you don’t have a choice anymore. You’re here now aren’t you.” Dupont informed her.

“Only because you abducted me.” Maggie pointed out

“You put up such a good front but look us in the eyes and tell us that the opportunity to be apart of something bigger than yourself doesn’t intrigue you? Excite you?” Fisher prompts.

“I don’t know.” Maggie shrugged.

“Strange. You seemed so confident when you walked in here. Powerful even.” Fisher was drawing her into his trap and she couldn’t help but fall for it.

“I was.” She gave in.

“Well, anyway, you’re here now. And we’ve decided on how we are going to best use your talents.” Dupont continued, “With your unique combination of offensive, defensive, and information gathering skills; we’ve decided to place you on a newly formed stealth team with along with two other brand new recruits.” 

“You will be gathering intelligence to use against specter. Most of these missions will be covert. You most likely won’t be engaging the enemy directly.” Fisher added, “And to make up for your group’s overall lack of experience, we have assigned a seasoned veteran to lead the team.”  
***  
Maggie sat in an empty gymnasium on the bleachers as close to the exit as possible. She had headed over to the predetermined meeting area as soon as Fisher and Dupont had let her leave. She couldn’t believe she was being forced to be some kind of special agent for some military organization. It sounded absurd and it was. Why did people have to always fight? Why couldn’t everyone just focus on surviving?

Footsteps alerted her that more people were entering the room. She watched two people being escorted in. The man was bulkingly huge, probably the size of a small truck in both stature and weight. But for his size, he wasn’t fat. He was built, massive muscles strained the material of the black workout shirt he was wearing looked two sizes too small. He seemed like he could crush someone’s skull without much effort. But there was a gentleness in his brown eyes. There was an arrogance about him, but Maggie figured it was probably for show. He probably wouldn’t even harm a fly.  
The woman of african descent was a different story. Her deep charcoal eyes were sharp, thick brows furrowed, her feminine body tense. She wore a similar outfit to Maggie and looked about as pleased to be here. Both newcomers chose to sit with a decent amount of distance between them. But the woman chose to sit closer to Maggie and the man sat on the far side of the bleachers.

So nobody knows each other, Maggie observed leaning back against the seat behind her.

There were a few moments of awkward silence as they all stared at each other. No one said anything. They probably weren’t sure what to say. Had they all be abducted by Kronos or come willingly? Maggie’s thoughts were interrupted by the woman who had turned her attention to Maggie, her voice was loud but friendly, “Hey there! I’m Amanda Reed. I’m a healer. It’s nice to meet you..”

Maggie sighed, she hated introductions, “Maggie Knight.”

“Well, nice to meet you, Maggie! What can you do?” Good god, this woman was too friendly.

“It’s hard to explain.” Maggie told her, not really wanting to share too much about herself with these strangers.

This time the man spoke up, “Not true, I heard you can teleport and I saw you absorb electrical charges during testing as I walked by. Rodney Cain’s the name. Super Strength is my gift.” He had assumed a very manly position as he had been listening to the girls converse.

What a total jock.

“Teleportation and Electrical manipulation. That’s pretty powerful.” Amanda seemed impressed. Maggie felt her cheeks heat up and looked away from the others to hide her embarrassment, “I guess. Still not sure what all I can do.”

“Well, that’s why we’re all here.” A gravely voice drawled, interrupting the trio.

All three sets of eyes snapped in the direction to find a tall, lanky man with steely narrow eyes standing in the middle of the basketball court. A thick beard covered a rugged jawline, his lips were stretched thin in a sneer. There was a dangerous air about this man. Several silver scars littered the tan skin of his face and hands. Maggie could tell that this Kronos agent was different than the others she had encountered thus far. This man was a field agent not some black suit or lab coat. He had probably been on a lot of high risk missions. But his body language didn’t scream pure military. Despite his facial expression, there was almost a relaxed aloofness about his posture. He donned a standard Kronos uniform and a black cavalry hat that covered shaggy brown wavy hair that stuck out at the sides. The hat casted a shadow over his eyes, but Maggie could feel him judging them.

“So yer my new team, huh?” He sounded unimpressed as he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, “Name’s Shannon Welch. I’ll be yer unit captain. We’ll begin trainin’ tomorrow mornin’ at 0600. Any questions?”

Of course, Amanda raised her hand, “Uh, yes sir. I’m curious what might you do?”

Shannon fold his arms over his chest, “What makes ya think I have powers?”

“Everyone else does. Even the snakes who brought me here. I killed them twice and they came back both times.” Maggie throws out there.

This caused Shannon to smirk, “Killed ’em, ya say? I’m not surprised. Yer profile says yer powers recently emerged. How can I be sure ya’re not goin’ to kill one o’ us on a mission?”

“You can’t. That’s what trainings for, isn’t it?” She smirked right back. She wasn’t going to let him intimidate her.

“Ya’ve got spunk, girl. I like that. Ya’re gonna need it for what I’ve got planned for ya.” He informed them, as he promptly pulled out a cigar from his jacket pocket and set it between his teeth. He chewed on it for a moment as he studied them once more. Without another word, he loped out of the gym.

The trio looked at each other in confusion.

“Uh, what just happened?” Rodney spoke up first this time.

“Uh, I think we just met the biggest hardass this place has to offer.” Maggie blinked for the first time since Shannon had left the room.

“You said it, gurl.” Amanda agreed, “Can’t believe that guy’s gonna be our captain.”

“Dupont and Fisher said we need work.” Maggie pointed out.

“Work? That man’s prolly gonna kill us before we even make it to our first mission.” Rodney grumbled. For a total jock, he was a total pussy.

“Buck up, buttercup. Anything we do in training will probably prepare us for whatever we face out in the field.” Maggie reasoned. Even if she didn’t want to be here. She knew that she was coming to make the most of her time. No sense in fighting it when she didn’t have a choice.

Amanda spoke up, “True, I’ve heard that Specter’s agents kill without reason.”

“Then they’re probably kill first and ask questions second type people.” Maggie implied.

“Glad I grew up in a Kronos city.” Rodney revealed.

“True that.” Amanda agreed, fluffing her hair before she turned to the other woman, “Where did you grow up, Maggie?”

“New Haven.”

“A free city? That’s pretty lucky.” Rodney seemed a little jealous.

“Yeah.” Maggie acknowledged as she stood up from her seat on the bleachers, “Lucky I got out of that dump.”

“Really? I’ve heard that free cities are really fancy.” Amanda stated.

“Oh, they are.” Maggie conceded, “If you don’t live in the slums.”

Another silence settled over the group. This time Maggie didn’t wait around for another round of idle chit chat. The day’s excitement was catching up to her. She needed a nap. Her stomach made a rumbling noise. Maybe a bite to eat, too. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten.

After she had made a pit to stop in the cafeteria. Maggie was slinking down one of the base’s many corridors towards the dormitory, when she peeked out one of the windows. She still wasn’t sure about where they were. Cliffs and walls of rock jutted out of the earth like a person’s backbone told her she was somewhere in the mountains. Not much to go off of but still better than the view being nondescript and boring. The pines and the deciduous trees slashed a variety of greens over the terrain. The sky was cloudless and the late afternoon sun had burned them away. A glow of an ember caught her eye and she looked down to the source to see Shannon Welch seated at one of the concrete picnic tables. His vast assortment of weapons were strewn out before him as he cleaned one of his glocks. He was still chewing on the cigar from before or at least she thought it was the same cigar.

As if he sensed her staring at him, he looked up from his work. His hands still nimbly continued their ministrations while he visually broke his focus. Their eyes met. Neither held an ounce of surprise. Both faces were steeled with indifference. Shannon shook his head at her before his attention turned back to his current task. Maggie rolled her eyes and continued to her dorm.


	2. Pushing the Limits

_0600_ . That was the time when Maggie arrived at the designated training room where Shannon had instructed them to meet that morning. The base was eerily quiet and still compared the usual bustling state she had been introduced to. The whirl of the air conditioning kicking on and the buzzing of a few ceiling lights were the only noises Maggie could hear besides the sounds of her own breathing. The room was tall and as larger than the gym they’d met in the previous day. While still dimly lit, she was able to see the perimeter of the room was an indoor track and the infield appeared to have an obstacle course.

No one else had arrived yet. She was alone. She had never been an early riser, but her nerves had kicked into high gear since her recruitment. Getting up this morning had been paramount. Not to be an asskisser but she wanted to make a good impression on their captain. He partially controlled what kind of future she might have here. 

Stretching out a yawn, she parked herself in the middle of the track and waited for the rest of her team to show up for training. She wasn’t really tired and hadn’t been since her powers developed causing an influx of energy that she couldn’t seem to burn off. Maybe she needed to take up exercising. She shuddered at the thought. How uncharacteristic of her. She must be losing her mind. Maybe training might help her use up some of that pent up energy.

The rest of the overhead lights kicked onto full brightness causing Maggie to wince. She looked over to the entrance as her eyes adjusted to the light to see Shannonstep into the training room. He was dressed very similarly to the previous day sans the hat and the cigar. He appraised her, briefly and offered her a swift nod of acknowledgment. Suddenly, she felt self conscious and stood up, straightening the training uniform she had been given. Hopefully, she didn’t look like too much of a slob. She woken up later than she had originally planned and had to dress as quickly to arrive when she had.

Shannon ambled over towards her. Only then had she noticed just how tall he was. He towered over her a good foot or so. It wasn’t obnoxious like Rodney’s size. But it made an impression and the man certainly wasn’t hard to miss. She continued to watch him as he pulled a cigar out of a tin box that he kept in his jacket pocket. Only then had she realized how long she had been staring when he caught her. Their eyes connected for a moment before he cleared his throat and looked away.

_ Well, this is fucking awkward. _ She couldn’t help but think as she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and scratched the back of her neck. Her face was felt flushed. She didn’t usually stare like that. This whole Kronos thing was really messing with her. So she decided to count ceiling tiles until her other teammates finally showed up.

Amanda was the next member of their team to arrive. 5 minutes late. Maggie felt a pang of envy. The other woman looked fresh as a daisy and effortlessly put together. They were even wearing the same uniform but Maggie thought Amanda wore hers better. The healer smiled cheerfully at her teammates as she approached them. Maggie made sure her expression clearly indicated that she didn’t want to talk. Even if that meant looking pissed off. Glancing at their captain, his face was nearly unreadable with traces of slight irritation. Their demeanor seemed to suck some of the ungodly chipperness out of her.

The trio waited in silence for ten minutes for Rodney to show up. The strongman ran into the training room as if his ass had been lit on fire. His clothes were askew as if he’d thrown them on while on his way here. Despite his rush, he didn’t seem to be out of breath in the slightest.

“Hey guys, sorry I’m late.” He greeted them with a goofy wave.

There was no humor on their captain’s face as he put out his cigar. His stare was cold and his lips pressed thin as he appraised the group. He pointed two long fingers in Amanda and Rodney’s direction as he rebuked the pair, “Reed and Cain, do ya understand what the difference o’ bein’ even a second late could mean out in the field?”

They were wise to keep their mouths shut as Shannon continued, “It could mean the difference between life and death. Even the success or failure of a mission. Do ya understand?”

The pair nodded, enthusiastically, “Sir, yes, sir.”

“Good.” He moved to unlock the training room door, “Knight, you’ll be runnin’ 5. Ya two will run double.”

The trio of new recruits didn’t hesitate to take off down the track. Not really a runner or athletically inclined, Maggie grimaced through her laps. The thing she’d ever run from was city security back in New Haven when a party she’d gone to had been busted. She remembered hauling ass back then. But now? She was nearly out of breath at her somewhat casual pace. She collapsed on the cool tile floor as she attempted to slow her heart beat, which was pounding in her ears. Rodney flew through his laps no problem. He hadn’t even broken a sweat and despite having finished with his laps not that long after Maggie. Amanda stopped running a little over halfway through her laps and jogged to the finish.

When all three of them had a chance to cool down, Shannon returned to them with a clipboard and a timer. His face was unreadable as he jotted down their times. The silence that crept over the group as they awaited their next task was awkward and tense. Maggie didn’t have the slightest clue as to what they were going to do next, but she was sure she was going to loathe it.

The rest of their morning consisted of them being put through the ringer. Each test was a chore designed to test them physically. After running, they had to do as many situps as they could in a hour. Something Rodney had demolished them in. Maggie couldn’t remember the exact number but it was well over one hundred and well above Maggie’s sixty-five and Amanda’s fifty. After sit-ups were push ups and the outcome was similar to their previous task as far as who was by far the most physically fit on their team. She wondered if it was even fair to test someone with Rodney’s abilities along with non physically gifted people such as Amanda and herself. It was probably like putting a telepath through mental exams. A natural advantages that allowed their users to skate through the specified challenges without much resistance.

After the physical fitness exam, Shannon led them over to the obstacle course Maggie had been eyeing earlier. From first glance, it seemed just like any other course that she’d ever come across which wasn’t very many but still they all appeared to have the same basic layout. This one had four or five obstacles of varying difficulty and was surrounded by a foam cube pit. The pit was probably put in place to prevent cadets from injuring themselves in an accident. Their captain demonstrated how to go through the course and instructed them on the best ways to approach each challenge. This gave the trio of new operatives a glimpse of Shannon’s abilities. There was a natural grace and ease in his movements not many people possessed. His long, lean limbs allowed him to scale most of the obstacles with efficient swiftness. All while barely making a sound. Maggie wasn’t sure if their captain had just been through the course enough to have each of his movements predetermined or if he was just naturally stealthy.

“Damn.” Amanda commented.

“You said it.” Maggie concerned.

Their male counterpart seemed less than impressed, “You think that’s impressive. I could do that with my eyes closed.”

Maggie quirked an eyebrow at the man, “Really?”

Rodney didn’t get a chance to respond as Shannon loped over to them. His lips twisted up at the corners into a small smirk, “Alright, Cain, if ya think it’s so easy why don’t ya go ahead ‘n give it a whirl?”

“It would be my pleasure.” Rodney stated, haughtily, as his chest puffed out and he strutted over to the start line and awaited the signal for him to begin.

Where Shannon was agile and precise, Rodney was more like a bull in a china shop. The strongman steamrolled his way through the first couple obstacles. That was until Maggie caught Shannon punch a button on a control panel on the nearest wall and the obstacle parts began to move like that old TV show about american ninjas her friends used to watch. Rodney stumbled as he was caught off guard and his mind attempted to process what had just happened.

“This just got interesting.” Maggie mumbled more to herself than anyone else as she folded her arms over her chest. She should’ve figured things weren’t as easy as Shannon had initially let on.

Amanda, who was the closest to her, hummed in agreement, “Honey, I thought I might be able to get through that, but now I’m screwed. I’ve got no balance.”

“You and me both.” Maggie informed her teammate.

A sudden thud and a grunt of pain indicated that Rodney had failed. The girls looked up just in time to watch Rodney get tossed off the spinning part and fall into the foam pit in glorious defeat. Both women burst out laughing. It was hard not to. Rodney had been so over confident before, it was almost comical as he was served his just deserts. Even Shannon had a difficult time hiding his pleasure at the larger man’s failure, Maggie caught something akin to amusement twinkle in his pale eyes.

As Rodney pulled himself out of the foam pit, Shannon stood in a contrapposto and addressed the girls, “What was Cain’s mistake?”

Maggie raised her hand, “He overestimated his ability to get through the obstacles and in his over confidence, failed to mentally prepare himself for all the possibilities.”

“Very good, Knight. You’re up.” Shannon motioned for her to go to the starting point.

The blonde grumbled to herself as she walked over. She hated that she had volunteered herself by being a smartass. She had been hoping to go last so that she could watch someone else go through the course one more time before it was her turn. But fate hadn’t dealt that in her cards that day. Instead, she found herself braced up to begin. When the starting point flashed green, she sprung into action and dashed towards the first climb. Her arms were aching by the time she pulled herself over the top and onto the platform on the other side. The next challenge she had to propel herself forward to grasp onto a bar to swing to the next platform. Then she ran across a balance beam and continued on until she got to the point where Rodney had been tossed off. She paused and allowed herself a moment to watch windmill-like contraption spin back and forth as she attempted to analyze a pattern. Once she got that down, she made a break for it, ducking and dodging the padded arms as she moved forward. Thankfully, she petite stature allowed her to miss being caught by the skin of her teeth. Triumphantly, she went on to the rest of the course, but unfortunately for her, she hadn’t seen this part of it in motion and she was unprepared for what came next. 

In an instant, the circular base she had been standing on began to move up and down as did the other steps beyond it. The steps were just far apart that she’d have to jump and she knew that if she didn’t time it right she’d fall just like Rodney. But she wasn’t like Rodney, she didn’t just leap before she looked. She waited, not caring about the amount of time she took. However, when she did jump her boot slipped on a loose lace as she launched herself into the void between the steps. She felt her stomach pit in the way it does when someone falls, but her extend hand made contact with the padded step preventing her from falling into the pit below. She was shocked that she’d actually caught it and her grip was iron clad as she swung her body up to the next step. Once back on top, she knotted her boots tighter to make sure it wouldn’t happen again. She continued on to the rest of that section only to get clotheslined by a beam and knocked off just as she was finished.

Maggie welcomed the embrace of the foam cubes below her and while she’d failed. She’d gotten further than Rodney and probably further than Amanda would be able to. The selfish part of her hoped that the other woman wouldn’t get as far as she had. She didn’t like being outdone. Not when their performance was probably the only means they were going to be able to survive this. She waded her way over to the edge of the pit and pulled herself out. When she was stably on her own two feet, she looked over at her teammates. Rodney was fuming, she could tell that he didn’t like being bested either. Amanda appeared nervous. And Shannon… He gave her a nod of approval before he barked for Amanda to take her turn.

In the end, Amanda hadn’t lied about not being very coordinated and ended up stumbling in the same spot Maggie had slipped and fell only, the dark skinned woman didn’t have the reflexes like Maggie and fell into the pit. With Amanda’s fall, Shannon concluded their physical fitness testing complete for the day.

“Well, I think y’all’ve had enough of this for the day. Take a 30 minute lunch and then meet me at room 352.” He told them before he walked out of the training room, pulling a cigar out of his box as he left them.

Grabbing a quick lunch from the cafeteria, Maggie hauled ass back to her room. At the moment, she wasn’t interested in spending time making idle conversation with her teammates. She had already been awake longer than she normally would’ve been for one day and her irritation was growing from the forced social interaction. She craved some quiet, alone time to allow herself a break and to prepare herself for whatever Shannon had planned for them next.

* * *

When she arrived at room 352, the door was locked and dark on the inside. This time Rodney and Amanda were both on time and there before Shannon had shown up. Maggie figured that the thought of running more laps had knocked some sense into them. When Shannon arrived, he said nothing to them but appeared pleased that they were all there waiting for him as he pulled a key card out of his pocket and swiped it in front of a scanner to gain access to the inside of the room. He motioned for the team to follow his lead.

Maggie was the first to follow their team captain inside the room. So far she was on his good side and she intended to keep it that. But when she finally had a chance to look around the room, it resembled a recording studio with two rooms. The first room was the control room. Dark flooring and dark wooden paneling on the walls. Pendant lights illuminated the control station where various flashing buttons and monitors were sheltered. The control station faced a wall of glass where the second room was located. There were several other desks with computers lined up against the far wall, next to the door that opened into the second room. She peered through the glass, the second room  was entirely white and empty minus a glass stand with two handles. Fluorescent lights illuminated the room.

Once the team was in the room and the door to the outside shut, Shannon divulged their agenda, “As y’all can prolly tell, we’re gonna do some testin’ today.” The trio of new agents collectively groaned which caused Shannon to smirk as he continued, “These tests are gonna shed some light on things. Namely, yer fears, how ya react to various situations. The way ya react will determine how ya train.”

Apparently, the order the group arrived determined the order they would be tested in. Shannon motioned for Rodney to enter the room first. Maggie couldn’t help but feel a little giddy. She couldn’t wait to see what the hulking man was afraid of. Would it change her opinion of him? Probably not. Would she use it against him? More than likely. But by the end of the testing everyone would be on an even playing field.

The girls watched as Shannon hooked Rodney up to the machine, adjusting it so that it would fit his height. Their captain, then, returned to the control room. Rodney looked pale, visibly sick even. It echoed the way Maggie felt inside. She thought she’d finished testing after she’d been sorted by Dupont and Fisher. But apparently, they’d forgotten to mention more testing might be deemed necessary if their captain deemed it so.

“The monitors here.” Shannon pointed to the control desk and then out to Rodney, “are connected ta the patches on his temples ‘n will project the tests. It’s simple psychological exam.”

“You’re serious? A simple psychological exam? Do ya know how many tests we’ve been through in the last 48 hours?” Amanda objected, hands on her hips with a ‘test me, bitch’ look on her face.

Withering her a cold glance, Shannon chose not to acknowledge the healer. He, instead, powered up the machines and turned on the devices. There was a whirling sound filling the room as the fans inside the computers kicked on. Maggie felt a familiar pull towards the technology as it spurred to life, but she resisted the urge to answer it. She’d be in contact with it soon enough. The two girls watched as Shannon initiated the program and Rodney began to shake.

_ NO!  _ Formed on the strongman’s lips but this room was sound proofed so his pleas fell on deaf ears. Maggie glanced at the monitors and saw Rodney standing on a towering cliff overlooking a roaring sea. A torrential rain hammered upon his brow and the rocks surrounding him. It was like watching a movie from Rodney’s perspective.

_ “Jump, Rodney. Jump!” _ A voice filled the room through the speakers built into the walls.

_ Rodney looked panicked and shook his head, “No! I-I c-can’t. It’s too far down.” He attempted to back away from the edge of the cliffs. But hands grasped his shoulders and pushed him forward, preventing an escape. _

" _Jump!” The voice from before called out again. This time a face joined the hands grasping his shoulders. It was a man who appeared very similar to Rodney. “Jump, Rod. Don’t be such a pussy.”_

_ “C-Court, d-don’t make me! I-I can’t. It’s too high.” Rodney sounded like he was nearly in tears. The man whom Rodney had called Court chuckled darkly. With a mighty thrust, Rodney was pushed over the edge. Rodney let out a terrified scream as wind and water sprayed his face. _

Shannon ended the program just as he was about to go over the cliff face. Rodney was visibly shaken from what he had experienced. He was gasping and shaking uncontrollably. Tears threatened cascade down his cheeks.

After Rodney managed to haul himself out of the testing room, Amanda was quick to take her turn. Maybe Rodney’s fears had spurred her to get her turn over with. After she was all hooked up, Shannon fired up the program once more.

_ An old song crooned as a young girl sat in the back seat of a car. Big, curly pigtails perched high upon her head. She wore a floral sundress. She chatted merrily with two figures in the front seats. _

_ “Mommy! When will we get to granma’s?” _

_ “Soon, sweetie-” The woman’s kind warm voice tore into a shrill scream as a great impact rocked the vehicle. In a flash the scene changed to a fiery inferno on the side of the road as the little girl wailed controllably into a police officer’s arms. _

It didn’t take a genius to figure out what had happened to Amanda’s parents. In a way, it was almost comforting for Maggie that she wasn’t the only one who’d suffered in the aftermath of the end. She even felt to comfort the other woman, who was sniffling in the corner of the room as they waited for her data to upload so that Maggie could take her turn.

Once everything from Amanda’s session had been processed. Maggie found herself being hooked up to the machine. She gripped the handles, tightly as she felt the program connect with her mind.  _ But instead of a detailed image in her mind’s eye like the others’ display. What she saw was a dark void of nothingness. She felt cold and alone. Overwhelming more alone than she ever had felt before in her life. Everything else paled in comparison. Was this what hell was supposed to be? She wondered, silently to herself. There were no words to comfort her or even scare her. The silence was enough. She felt crippled and compressed. She couldn’t breath. She began to panic. _

Her powers lashed out, running up the wires and into the control panel. The boards and monitors began to spark wildly. Screens blurred. Her teammates jumped back at the sight of the blue arcing voltage. Gauges and levels flashed and fluctuated out of control. Suddenly, all the lights in the room brightened to the point that bulbs busted and the breakers failed as they popped from the overload. The room went black.

Her thoughts were foggy almost as if she had a cold when she regained consciousness of her surroundings. The room smelled of smoke and burnt metal. The ambience was much dimmer and warmer than she recalled. There was movement just above her. Her eyes focused and she saw Amanda hovering over her. Her hands were glowing a sunny, yellow color. Maggie wondered if that was a tangible representation of Amanda’s gift.

“Goodness gracious, Maggie. You’ve quite the gift.” The healer began to fuss about the smaller woman’s body. But Maggie pushed her away,

“Don’t need healed. Just a little dazed.”

“I’d be more surprised if ya weren’t dazed.” A recognizable inflection drawled, Maggie glanced beyond Amanda for the first time to see her male teammates hanging back. Rodney looked completely shocked and concerned. While Shannon appeared impressed, “Ya completely fried the system. Gonna have ta postpone the rest of the testin’.”

Quickly, she sat up, “I can fix it.” She declared, not wanting to have another day of testing. She wanted to be finished with it all.

Shannon’s eyebrow quirked. His face held a skeptical expression. One Maggie wanted to wipe off his face as he drawled, “Ya sure bout that, girl?”

She offered no response to his challenge. Reaching out her hand, it glowed a translucent but blue color, to the machine she had been hooked up to not long ago. Parts and wires began to weave back together and as it seemingly mended itself. She glanced briefly at her teammates, their expressions were vaguely amazed by the process. She pulled her hand away from the stand once she sensed her work was finished, stood and turned to face them.

Rubbing her bicep, she felt somewhat uncertain, “I can fix technology, too. I’ve always been able to… Just not at this capacity.”

“You can create and destroy!” Rodney pushed his way past Shannon and Amanda and grasped Maggie by her shoulders, staring at her intensely, “That. Is. So. Cool!”

Maggie shrugged out of his grasp and took a step back, “I can’t create anything. Just mend and fix what already exists.”

“Still cool.” Rodney was near fanboying at this point.

“I can fix the rest of the system if you want me too.” She offered, looking towards Shannon for permission. He merely nodded and gestured for her to continue.

She didn’t hesitate to begin rebuilding everything else she had scorched. She relished how easily this part of her powers seemed to stream through her as she went about her work. How natural it felt to be able to remedy the damage she’d caused so efficiently. Before she’d developed her powers, the whole process it took to completely repair the entire room would’ve taken nearly a work week based on her previous job. But with her powers, it took less than a half an hour. She just had to think about what she wanted done and it was completed with ease as her powers mingled through the wires and circuits that made up the system. When she had finished her task, she turned triumphantly towards her teammates. She motioned for Shannon to revive the computers so that they could continue testing.


	3. An Exercise In Survival

The grounds of the base sprawled beyond the buildings and their immediate surroundings. Enclosed by tall barbed wire fencing, was acres of wilderness. Tall trees and mountains cascaded down into the valley which nestled the base. The landscape provided strategic protection and coverage from enemy surveillance. This forest was one of few remaining natural treasures to have survived the end of the world. Flora and fauna had been preserved despite the circumstances. Nature had endeavored to persevere and was a testament to it’s will to carry on after human civilization’s descent into chaos. This place had been a part of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, a true preserve for the world and it was the perfect cradle to raise Kronos agents.

Birds chirped and squirrels chattered in the trees above Team Echo’s heads as they followed Shannon along a well worn path which craved into the roots of the mountain many decades prior by the US National Park service. Beneath the foliage of ancient pines, oaks, and maples protected them from the midsummer sun and cast cooling shadows of respite from the skyrocketing temperatures. Their surroundings were lush, green, and full of life; but Maggie, Rodney, and Amanda were too busy trudging along to take much notice.

Continuously, they hiked for nearly two hours until Shannon stopped near a small creek bed to fill up his canteen. The others were quick to follow his lead while they waited for his next instructions. The girls collapsed on the nearest boulders while Rodney leaned back against an old knotty pine. Maggie wondered if it was clear to their captain that none of them were the outdoorsy types. She hadn’t spent this much time outside in daylight since she was a kid and hadn’t ever really planned on it. Ordinarily, she wasn’t the outdoorsy type. She didn’t dislike being outside or nature in general. Moreover, she preferred to stay in a controlled environment. Yet as she took a moment to catch her breath, her ears caught the babbling sound of the stream as it lapped over stones of creek bed and passed them by. It’s white noise was truly one of the most relaxing tones she’d ever listened to.

After he had allowed them a few moments to recover, Shannon addressed his team, “Y’all are prolly wonderin’ why I drug ya out here when it’s blazin’ hot out.” He paused and waited for someone to offer an explanation, but when none came he continued, “Well, it wasn’t just a pleasure walk about ta enjoy the scenery. It’s the location of your next training exercise.”

Taking a long swig from his canteen, Shannon  while the trio merely stared back at him, blankly. He stroked his beard, thoughtfully as he regarded his team for the first time in a natural setting, “Over the next 72 hours, y’all will be undergoin’ a survival training exercise. During the course of this time, I’ll be evaluating ya on several criteria. Particularly yer survival skills. Think of this as a practice run for a mission.”

“If this is a practice run for a mission, what are our objectives?” Maggie was quick to break out of the initial shock that they would be spending the next three days out in the wilderness with little to no supplies.

“Yer objectives will be ta meet me on top o’ Clingman’s Dome in three days time. It’s a rather high peak on the other side of the valley. Can’t miss it. Ya will have the bare minimum as far as supplies go and will be expected ta set up at least two camps along the way.” He revealed as he pulled out a cigar from the breast pocket of his vest.

“So el capitan, how do you expect us to survive if we’ve been out in the wilderness before?” Rodney inquired, the strongman seemed nervous to Maggie. The hulk would continue to befuddle her with his contradictions. Despite probably being the strongest being in these woods, he was scared. It was almost as if he didn’t believe he was as strong as he thought he was.

“That’s easy.” Shannon drawled, “I’m gonna give ya some tips and instructions fore I head on.”

Shannon went over various survival tactics. They attempt to imitate his actions and listen to his advice about gathering food and water as well as building shelter. What makes good fire. Plants to look out for. Among other things.

“Now, y’all know how the basics of survival. Ya are on yer own for the next 72 hours. With nothin’ but the packs on yer backs. This exercise may be completed individually or as a team. No tech. See ya at the top.” Shannon departed after his final address to his team.

Maggie wandered how he was going to make it to Clingmans Dome before them if their destination was a 3 day hike away. He must have an atv stashed nearby or has arranged for someone to pick him up and take him there. Otherwise there was no way he’d be able to beat them there and be waiting on them. It just wasn’t humanly possible.

“Welp, we’re fucked.” Rodney declared once Shannon had disappeared behind a grove of trees and was more than likely out of earshot.

“Buck up, buttercup.” Maggie scoffed at her companion as she gathered her belongings and headed towards the woodline.

“Hey! Where are you going?!” Rodney called after her.

“To find some kindling and possibly a place to build a shelter.” She called back over her shoulder. She really didn’t have time to coddle a grown ass man. She was determined to pass this exercise with flying colors.

“So are we working together?” Amanda inquired.

“Would probably be the wisest choice to get through this. But if you want to go it alone. Be my guest.” Maggie stated, walking into the brush.

* * *

 

Returning with the wood, Maggie found Amanda and Rodney working on the camp. Amanda had gathered rocks and placed them in a circular formation to create their fire ring. Rodney was working on building them their shelter. Pleased that they made themselves busy, she placed the materials down next to Amanda’s fire ring.

“Wanna help me find something to eat?” She asked the other woman as she glances around at the camp site.

Amanda beamed back, “Sure!”

“Hey, Rod, Amanda and I are gonna try to get food.” She informed the third member of their team. He raised an empty had as he continued to work on their shelter, too focused on his task to do anything else.

The two women hiked up the nearby hill and scoured the countryside surrounding their camp for anything edible. But no food to be gathered. No even the smallest morsel. Looking at the grubs scurrying in the dirt she’d found underneath a small boulder she’d kicked. She pinched one of the largest larva between her fingers and held it up to Amanda, “This looks like it could work.”

The dark haired woman looked appalled, “No way. I ain’t eating no bugs. I’d rather starve.”

Maggie shrugged and dropped the insect before returning the rock to its resting place. Dusting off her hands, she stood up, “Well, I guess we’re gonna go hungry tonight.”

“Wonderful.” Amanda grumbled.

Returning to the campsite, they found Rodney had better success with building the fire. He, actually, had a flame going and it appeared to be fairly established. He glanced up when he heard them approach, but his face fell when he saw they were empty handed. Amanda and Maggie shared a sad look before they joined him around the fire.

“Nothing?” He asked as he stirred the fire with a stick causing the coals to spit up sparks.

Maggie shook her head, “Nope.”

“Still fucked, then.” He concluded, running a hand over his stubbly face.

Conversation was nonexistent as they sat around the fire and watched as day waned into night. The only relief it brought was the coolness of the evening air. However, that joy didn’t last long because soon their lips began to chatter. Even in the height of summer, temperatures could drop into the thirties in an instant at night. Leaving unprepared campers huddled around their fire as they clung to any kind of heat they could muster.

“What did you do before this?” Amanda asked, absently, as she attempted to pass the time.

Maggie waited for Rodney to speak, undecided on if she should share her past with these people just yet. But the strongman seemed to have qualms about sharing,

“I worked at an auto shop with my brother, Courtland. We lived up north. You?”

“I helped my grandma Opal in her bakery.” Amanda informed them.

Maggie could feel both pairs of eyes staring at her. She tried her best to ignore it, but the peer pressure was too much for her to ignore so she caved, “Tech repair shop.”

“So you were always a techie?” Rodney inquired.

She shrugged, “I guess. It was just one of the trades the orphanage taught.”

“Orphanage?” Amanda repeated, even in the darkness Maggie could see the woman’s big brown eyes begin to water. Maggie nodded and shuddered a heavy breath,

“Yep. That’s what happens when kids don’t have any family.”

Amanda scooted around and placed a gentle hand on Maggie’s shoulder, “What happened?”

Maggie shrugged off the woman’s touch and moved away so that there was more space between them, “I don’t think we’re close enough for you to get my tragic backstory.”

“You saw how my parents died.” The other woman reminded her. “Grandma Opal died right before they kidnapped me and brought me here.”

“Did you want to come?” Rodney inquired, having stayed silent as he watched the two women interact.

Amanda shook her head, “No way. I was interested in anything like this. I just wanted to stay with Grandma Opal. I was happy there. But they didn’t take ‘no’ for an answer. They got me on my way home from seeing my grandma at the hospital.”

“Same. They came to the shop everyday for a week. It took throwing car parts for them to get the hint. I thought they’d be gone for good after that. But they were just waiting for the right time. They got me, my brother, and his girlfriend after we’d been out drinking. I don’t know what happened to them.”

Maggie’s jaw dropped as she listened to the pair recount how they’d ended up in Kronos. She’d never expected their stories to be so similar to hers. It gave her the courage to share, “Same. Dupont and Fisher were actually the ones recruiting me. Showed up at my work first. Then sent me letters and then came to my house. Killed them for bothering me. Wasn’t joking about it. After that, my friends and I got picked up by this blacked out SUV we thought was gonna take us home...”

Her statement rang true for the rest of her team. Apparently, Kronos didn’t like being denied so they took what they thought was theirs. Whatever their motives, it was wrong to uproot people from their lives and separate families. Did they think they were doing their captives some sort of justice? How would they expect to achieve their goals if none of their operatives had bought into their ideals? 

“Why do you think they wanted us?” Amanda voiced the one question that now seemed to be on everyone’s minds. Rodney shrugged and scratched the back of his head. Maggie pondered over it briefly, “Dunno. Maybe they needed us for something.”

“Do you think Shannon knows?” Rodney inquired, frowning.

Maggie stirred the fire and shook her head, “Doubt it. And if he does. He’ll tell us eventually.”

“How can you be so sure?” Amanda seemed unconvinced, “What if he’s like the rest of them?”

“I’m not. But I’m gonna give him the benefit of the doubt.” Maggie stated as she got up and made her way over to the shelter.

Not long after Amanda and Rodney joined her. But she kept her back turned away from the others and attempted to will herself to sleep. Rest didn’t come easy for any of them. Chattering teeth and shuddering bodies rustled the leaves, Rodney had lined the bottom of the shelter with and the fire was too far away to provide any heat. She laid there awake and stared up at the ceiling of the logged shelter.

The moon’s silver glow peaked between the holes between the branches illuminating their sleeping space. Night noises soon filtered in her ears. The hooting of and creatures rustling through the undergrowth kept her mind on edge. Nevertheless, they were probably miles away the darkness made it feel like the animals were right on top of them. Resigned to her fate, she waited for dawn to arrive.

* * *

 

In the middle of the night a low rumbling growl startled Maggie awake. Frozen in fear, she dared not move as her instincts kicked into overdrive. Adrenaline pumped through her veins when the sound repeated itself, this time closer than before. Padded footsteps accompanied the noise, padding along the forest floor nearby. Her mind raced, wildly. She’d never heard such a noise before. The cataclysm drastically reduced the populations of humans and animals alike. With the pale luminescence from the dying embers of the fire, she peered out into the darkness, she could faintly make out a dark shape moving about the far side of camp.  
Digging and scraping in the dirt, the creature foraged through the campsite. The proximity of humans caused no apprehension and concern on it’s part. Studying the creature, Maggie sat up. Inching forward to inspect the creature further, but her knee foiled her as it snapped a twig in the action. Yellow eyes flashed up in her direction, huffing sounds her audible in her ears as the creature scented the air. It prowled closer and emitted a low grumbling sound. Gulping, Maggie reached back to alert her teammates of the imminent danger.  
“Guys,” The technopath hissed, lowly as she shook their legs, “Guys, wake up!”  
Rodney grumbled and rolled over, tossing an arm over his face as he did so. While Amanda groaned and rubbed her bleary eyes as she sat up. Glancing about the shelter, the sleepy healer yawned, “Maggie? What’s going on?”  
“There’s something out there.” Maggie informed the other woman.   
Amanda waved her off, “Ain’t nothing out there. Go back to sleep.” The woman was about to lay back down when the creature rumbled, threateningly once more. The healer’s jaw dropped as she froze in fear, “Was that a bear?”  
“What’s a bear?” Maggie inquired, her brow wrinkled in confusion. She had never heard of such a creature. There were no such things in New Haven.  
Twinkling forth from of Amanda’s hands, a golden corona burnt away the darkness and revealed the mysterious animal stalking about their camp. “Oh good Lord sweet baby Jesus! That’s a bear!”  
The ‘bear,’ as Amanda identified, was a stocky mammal covered in dark brown hair with lighter hair about it’s muzzle and ambled about on four legs. With paws the size of Maggie’s head and razor-like claws sticking out from between each toe. Much larger than any dog or beast Maggie had ever seen, the bear was an imposing creature and from the way it was eyeing them, a predatory creature. Definitely not something to be messed with. Upon closer inspection, Maggie noticed the bones of the creature’s shoulders and hips jutted out sharply from its back. Despite it’s pelt, she recognized the bear was thin. Anything that thin meant it was starving, desperate for food and apparently, it had it’s sights set on Maggie or Amanda.  
Her shout was enough to spring their slumbering companion into action. Rodney’s form bounded out of their shelter and placed himself directly between the girls and the bear. The man growled and shouted, waving his hands in the air, making himself appear much more immense than he already was. The bear faltered in it’s tracks, but had no notion of backing down. Instead, it growled out a warning. Holding his ground, Rodney moved towards the bear as they began to circle each other.  
Grasping for Amanda’s hand, Maggie latched onto it. A gesture the healer returned as they watched man and beast. The bear lunged forward, abruptly as it moved to swipe at Rodney. Unwavered, Rodney braced for impact as the two beings collided. The bear’s jaw snapped at Rodney’s face and neck as the man clasped the creature’s neck in his arms, pulling it away from the girls. It continued to struggle against Rodney’s chokehold, but it appeared the beast was no match for their robust teammate. Harsh cries of desperation faded into nothing more than an echo was Rodney strangled the life from the creature.   
With a mighty heave, Rodney lifted the lifeless creature over his shoulder before he turned to face the women. His eyes mournful, despite having been triumphant. “I’m gonna go… take care of this.”  
Understanding nods, the women felt their hearts sink as the repercussions of their actions began to establish at the forefront of their minds. Maggie felt sick to her stomach. She was much more upset about the bear dying than when she had killed Dupont and Fisher. They had all lost their lives in the name of self defense. Yet in the case of the bear, it was only trying to survive. The men had a choice and knew they could regenerate themselves, and chose to provoke her. Conversely, the bear had no second chance. Could there have been an outcome that didn’t cost the bear it’s life? Maggie was at a loss. Moreover, the only fact that was certain was the fact there was now one less creature inhabiting this dying planet. One less creature was gone.  
Holding a vigil, the girls were unable to find rest as they waited for their teammate to return. The altercation was too fresh on their minds to sleep and the possibility of another dangerous creature passing through loomed over their heads.Time trickled by slowly and hours passed before Rodney returned, bringing with him the sun and the dawn of a new day. His usual upbeat demeanor had deflated in wake of wrestling with the creature. The burden of taking an innocent life hung heavy on his shoulder. His eyes were puffy and red as if he’d been crying, mourning for the loss. Unsure of what compelled her, Maggie was the first to bridge the gap between them and embraced the man. Amanda followed suit shortly after. Rodney was large enough to wrap both women in his arms and he held onto them tightly. The trio remained that way for some time. There was a comfort in knowing they weren’t alone. They had survived the first night and they had done so together.  


* * *

 

The cusp of a new day brought the promise of better times. However, the group was still weary from the previous night’s disruption. Yet they were more than ready to move on from it. Untangling from each other, they disassembled their campsite. Shannon had stressed the importance of not leaving anything traceable behind. So far, Maggie believed they were doing a good job. But there was still time for them to royally fuck up. Once the site was cleared, they began to chomp away at the distance between them and their destination.  
Their expedition saw them all over hell’s creation until they, finally, came across another stream in a valley. Nestled at the foot of two mountains, it was similar to an oasis. There was no time to boil or filter the water so they drank the cool, refreshing liquid with haste. All three had been on the verge of dehydration and water was by far the most important means of survival. Without it, they’d struggle to continue under the afternoon heat. Even beneath the trees, Maggie could feel the temperatures beginning to soar as the sun peaked in the sky. Splashing some of the water on the back of her neck, she whistled, “Gonna be lucky to make it to Clingman’s Dome on time.”  
“Well, it’s not my fault our captain thought this would be a good idea.” Rodney retorted as he sat down on one of the boulders outlining the creek.  
“Wasn’t saying that.” Maggie glared over at him, “Just stating a fact.”  
“Wanna hear a fact?” Mirth flashed in Rodney’s warm eyes and he didn’t wait for her to respond as he continued, “You’re a pissy little bitch.”  
Amanda looked, worriedly, between the pair as she watched from the sidelines, wondering if she should intervene. Instead, the woman sat back and chewed on her bottom lip as she waited for the fireworks. But no explosion followed, instead, Maggie let out a hearty laugh and smiled up at the hulking man.Caught off guard, Rodney blinked at the petite blonde before glancing over her shoulder at Amanda, whose expression appeared as baffled as his own. This was the first time they’d heard the technopath laugh since they’d met her and it was a bit unnerving. Normally, she appeared pretty unhappy about their situation, which made it pretty hard to connect with her. Perhaps exhaustion was eating away at her sanity.  
She cachicated to herself a while longer, grasping at her sides, before she straightened herself and wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. “Sorry, haven’t laughed like that since they took me. Just reminded me of one of my buddies. Used to say shit like you.” Without another word, Maggie turned on the ball of her foot and continued on the trail.  
“What happened to them?” Amanda piped up as she hurried after the other woman, leaving Rodney scrambling to catch up.  
Maggie sent her companion a sideways glance and shrugged her shoulders, “No clue. Last I saw them, they were still passed out in the limo.”  
“Oh.” Was all Amanda could say and immediately, regretted she’d even broached the topic.  
The trio trekked along the gully, recognizing that it was an easier route than billy goating along the slopes above. Their steps crunched dead leaves and fumbled over roots as their fatigue from the day before caught up to them. The bare trunks of trees was their only scenery as the canopy trees prevented other plants and shrubs from growing successfully on the forest floor.  
Sometime later, they elected to stop traveling for the day and set up camp near the bank of the stream they had been traveling along for the majority of the day. They had been traveling since dawn and their stamina was running out fast. The group was much more efficient in their abilities to make camp and start a fire than the previous night’s attempt. The fire pit was built closer to the shelter Rodney had erected.  
Meanwhile, Maggie gathered stones from the creek bank. Nearby a splash sprung up from the bubbling water. Wide-eyed, Maggie dropped the rocks and hopped over to peer into the clear pool. Several silvery, narrow figures swam at varying depths. Food. Maggie licked her lips at the prospect. She wasn’t sure what species they were. In all honesty, she could’ve cared less. Her stomach Her hollow stomach grumbled and churned in anticipation. Compulsively, her hand dove into the pool in an ambitious attempt to snag one of the trout. She, unfortunately, gained nothing from it other than scattering the fish and alerting them to her presence. The blunder pulled her lips into a frown as she glanced around for options, but nothing caught her eye.  
“Fuck.” She exclaimed in frustration, pounding her fist against a nearby tree trunk. The action caused the bark to crackle as she, accidentally, sent an electric pulse through the organic material. “Huh?” She gasped, examining her hands in wonder. She’d almost forgotten about her powers. They were still new to her and subsequently, she failed exercise her abilities.   
After a moment, Maggie’s eyes sparkled and she knelt back over the pool. Both hands dipped into the coolness of the stream, this time not attempting to catch anything. Instead, she sent a pulse into the current. The electric wave caused the water to fizzle and fish began to float up to the surface, stunned by the jolt. Grinning, triumphantly, she collected her bounty.  
Haze from a fire greeted Maggie as she returned to camp with her catch in tow. Rodney and Amanda reclined around the fire pit as Maggie walked up to them. The pair glancing up when they heard her approach.  
“Found some of those berries Shannon told us about.” Amanda informed the other woman, proudly before she asked, “Whatcha got?”  
“Dinner.” Maggie grinned and dumped the contents of the sack down the biggest stone.  
Her companions’ jaws dropped as their eyes feasted upon the half dozen fish, Maggie had brought back to them. Their reaction similar to her own Maggie continued, “Creek’s full of them and Shannon didn’t tell us we could take them.”  
Before she knew it, Rodney had latched onto her much smaller frame, “You’re a fucking goddess. We’re not gonna die!”  
Chuckling, Maggie felt herself blush from the giant’s praise, “Was nothing. Just took a little jolt.”  
“You used your powers?” Amanda accused, tearing her eyes away from their food.  
Maggie shrugged as she freed herself of the strongman’s embrace and parried, “Relax. Shannon never said we couldn’t. Rod uses his powers all the time.”  
The man in question was too busy preparing their dinner to respond. Absolutely giddy about the prospect of putting something in his stomach as he stabbed twigs through the carcasses in order to roast them over the fire. Maggie smiled and placed a hand on the other woman’s shoulder before she went to help Rodney.

* * *

 

Sparks flickered into the darkness of the night sky as the trio sat around the fire watching the embers glow. Their hunger satisfied thanks to Amanda and Maggie’s success. The overall mood palatably more relaxed than the previous night. Relaxed enough Maggie felt comfortable enough to pull out a joint from her pocket. Shannon might’ve forced them to give up their packs and supplies at the beginning of this adventures but that didn’t mean she was willing to give up her herb.  
One end held to the fire, she waited until the paper began to smolder until she brought the blunt to her lips and took a long drag, allowing the heady smoke to burn down into her lungs. A content sigh escaped her as she took another hit before offering it to her teammates. Rodney and Amanda stared, blankly at the object uncertain if they should partake.  
“Don’t make me smoke alone.” Maggie pleaded before she forced the joint into Rodney’s grasp, “It’s bad luck.”  
Throwing caution to the wind, Rodney puffed on the weed. Inhaling too deeply, he sputtered and coughed before he handed it off to Amanda. The healer looked at it as if it would bite her.  
“C’mon, ‘Manda. I did it. You can, too.” Rodney encouraged her.  
With a reluctant sigh, the other woman swiped it from the man before taking the smallest hint Maggie had ever seen before coughing up a storm and passing it back to Maggie.  
Smirking, Maggie puffed away merrily, “First time?”  
“How. Could. You. Tell?” Amanda inquired as she continued to hack.  
“Don’t worry.” Maggie assured her, passing the blunt back to Rodney, “It gets better.”  
“Count me out.” Amanda declared, waving for Rodney to pass it back to Maggie, but Maggie wasn’t going to let the other woman miss out and forced the healer to take another hit. This time Amanda had a much easier time with the process.  
It didn’t take long for the trio to smoke themselves into a stupor as they smoked the blunt into nothingness. The collective high broke down their inhibitions. Ebbing away any social boundaries constructed between them. Nothing brought camaraderie out like passing a joint around a campfire. Nonetheless, it has been the most relaxed Maggie found herself since joining Kronos.  
“Fuck, man, how’d you smuggle this into base?” Rodney inquired as he sprawled out on his back, looking at the woman in question through hooded eyes.  
An easy smile crept onto Maggie’s lips as she shrugged, “Fuck if I know. Guess they missed it.”  
“Do you smoke a lot?” Amanda inquired, sleepily barely able to hold her head up as she leaned back against one of the logs Rodney had used to build their shelter.  
“Yeah. Helps me chill.” Maggie informed them, “Better than drinking myself to death. Great way to cope.”  
“I usually just get drunk.” Rodney admitted and Amanda nodded in agreement.  
Maggie chuckled, “You guys are alright.”  
“Aw! You like us!” Rodney gushed, happily. The more Maggie got to know the giant, the more she believed he was less of a mammoth and more of a puppy. Kinda like a big dog that was unaware of it’s own size.  
Maggie rolled her eyes and waved a hand in the air around her, “I guess... What’d you guys do for fun before this?”  
“Court and I worked out a lot. But I liked to fuck around. Pills were always fun.” Rodney admitted, his high removing the filter from his thoughts.  
Unsurprised, Maggie could see the strongman being a bit of a party hound. This caused her to wonder, briefly, what it might be like to party with them. She wasn’t one to shy away from having a little fun and now that she knew them better she’d probably be more inclined to socialize with the pair.  
“Me too. Cooking was my thing.” Amanda chirped, “I’d kill for some chocolate chip cookies.”  
“I played arcade games and went to bars with my friends.” Maggie told them, nonchalantly.   
“Fucking nerd.” Rodney chortled as he rolled about on the ground.  
“Man whore.” Maggie retorted with an eyeroll, knowing that he didn’t mean anything by it.  
“I’m so high!” Amanda declared loud enough for the entire forest to hear them.

* * *

Maggie woke up the next morning in the middle of the dogpile, sandwiched between her teammates. Normally, she would’ve freaked out. It wasn’t in her nature to enjoy cuddling with people, romantically or platonically. But these idiots had grown on her during their excursion and she’d probably trust them with her life if it ever came to that. Their new found amity was something she wouldn’t take for granted.  
Sitting up, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around the campsite. The fire had burned out at some point in the small hours of the night after they’d passed out in a heap. Leaving behind ashes and smoke billowing up into the atmosphere. The forest around them was still grey and quiet. Maggie untangled herself from her friend’s grasp so that she could stand up and stretch. As soon as she stood up, nature called so she slunk off into the trees to find some privacy.  
Returning to camp, she kicked both of her companions awake. “C’mon, let’s get a move on. Can’t keep Shannon waiting.”  
Rodney and Amanda struggled to get up, still feeling the effects from the high they’d been on the previous high. Maggie was thoroughly amused. Rookies. She didn’t have much room to talk without the copious amounts of food she normally consumed, she felt pretty fucked up still. Nonetheless, she was as helpful as she could in their current situation.  
Unfortunately for the group, the entirety of their hike for their last day was up hill. The further they climbed in altitude the less tree cover they had to protect them from the summer sun. The terrain was steep and difficult to navigate until they happened upon pavement that used to be apart of one of the roads for the park. That at the very least made it easier to finish their trek as their path serpentine upward.   
Breathless and exhausted, the trio finally reached the lookout tower at the top of the highest peak in the area. The view itself was transcendent as their eyes feasted upon the vastness of the mountain range that sprawled out below them. Wrapping their arms around each other, they cried out in victory. While the trip might’ve seemed uneventful for some. None of them had any experience camping before. Making it an accomplishment that they survived 72 hours in the wilderness armed with nothing but Shannon’s instructions and their wits.  
“WE FUCKING DID IT!” Rodney bellowed, his booming voice echoed for miles. Amanda and Maggie chuckled at shook their heads at their childish teammate.  
“That ya did.” A familiar voice drawled from behind, causing the three to whirl around in the direction of their captain.  
“Sup, el capitan?” Maggie saluted Shannon as he stalked over to the group.  
A smirk twitched on his lips as he gave her nod, his pale eyes looking over her, briefly before he turned to address the group, “Congrats, y’all did much better than expected.”  
“You thought we were gonna die, didn’t you?” Amanda accused, pointing a finger at the man.  
Shannon arched an eyebrow and placed his hands on his hips, “Let’s just say my expectations weren’t very high. But ya passed.”  
“Fuck yeah!” Rodney cheered, throwing his arms around Maggie and Amanda’s necks nearly choking them out due to his excitement, “What’s next?”  
“The journey home.” Shannon confirmed, nodding in the direction back down the mountain.His team groaned in annoyance, but were nonetheless happy to hear they were headed back to base. All three of them would more than likely agree they’d had enough camping to last a lifetime.

 


End file.
